


Tell Me What To Do

by anachronicwriting (SougiyaRidoru)



Category: SHINee
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M, MV Inspired, dark themes, follows the plot of the MV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 23:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16753321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SougiyaRidoru/pseuds/anachronicwriting
Summary: Based off of the Tell Me What to Do MVTaemin was the only reason he was there.





	1. Chapter One

Taemin was the only reason he was there, if it weren’t for him, Kibum wouldn’t have dropped out of college, he never would have schemed that first plan for the bank job.  
Wouldn’t have kept them from getting caught.

Kibum was anything but stupid, he knew Onew only roped Taemin into this because he knew that Kibum would never accept to do something like this if Taemin hadn’t persuaded him to come along.

Kibum often wondered how long Onew had been watching him before he decided to approach Taemin.

Because Onew knew that the way to get Kibum to do what he wanted was making Taemin to want to do it.

Taemin young and reckless, as he was, was only after the rush. He was easy to manipulate, but hard to control.  
Kibum knew that Onew would have gotten rid of him if he didn’t need him to keep Kibum on his team.

Manipulating Taemin aside, Kibum liked Onew, he was clever, he could keep everyone in line, without even raising his voice, he was a great leader, and Kibum respected that.

Onew knew that if one of his plans failed, Key would take Taemin with him, and disappear, leaving them behind without a second thought.  
He knew that, to Key every single one of them was expendable.  
So he always made sure to humor Taemin, made sure that he, himself stayed on Kibum’s good graces at all times.  
He knew to be afraid of Kibum, and maybe that was why Kibum liked him so much, Onew didn’t underestimate him, even if at that moment he had the upper hand.

What he feels for Taemin; he wouldn’t call it love.

Taemin is precious to him, no matter what Taemin feels towards him, he is precious to Kibum, so as long as he can be by his side he will be happy.

 

——-

He was aware that Onew knew that Kibum knew why he humored Taemin.

It was like a silent game of chess, one in which  
Onew kept Kibum’s king cornered, always capable of locking him in, never making the kill move, because he needed Kibum.

Taemin listened to Kibum, most of the time.  
But Kibum knows he can’t control him, what Taemin wants, Taemin gets.

Kibum would be lying if he said that he hadn’t grown fond of the small group, he enjoyed the silent war that went on between him and Onew.  
He was fond of Jonghyun, he was a nice person, he often wondered how he got mixed up in all of this, he didn’t seem the type; too kind, too soft for a life of crime.  
Minho was amusing to watch. As much as Jonghyun seemed to be made for anything but a life on the run with a band of thieves, Minho was the opposite, tall intimidating, brash, agressive if provoked; and Kibum loved to do so. It was fascinating how his mood could change from cheerful and agreeable to cold blooded in the blink of an eye, and maybe Taemin’s recklessness was rubbing off on him but he loved to make it happen.  
Fun thing was, Minho seemed to be the only one out of the three of them who genuinely liked Taemin.

More than anything, they were all useful.

It wasn’t like Kibum couldn’t break the stalemate, he had more than enough pieces left, if he could, he would spare everyone, and for now it was enough.

 

If he were to be honest, it wasn’t really the company that kept him from trying to convince Taemin to come with him and leave all of this behind, Kibum liked to think he could convince him.  
No, it was the thrill of a successful plan, it was the memory of the expression that Taemin wore right after that first job at the bank, it was ecstatic and alive, the way he had looked at Kibum when they got to the safe-house.

“I bet you could get us in anywhere, help us to anything,” Taemin had said, “our Almighty Key.”

Kibum had leaned into him then, whispering in his ear, “Yours.”

The smile Taemin directed his way when he said it.

It was the single most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

As long as Taemin was happy to be here, he could keep things as they were.

Things changed when she got into the picture.  
Maybe if she hadn’t been here he would be more than glad to stay.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Taemin changed for the worse when She was around._

She had appeared one day, who brought her along or if she had decided to tag along after seeing them somewhere, Kibum didn’t know.  
Back then he hadn’t really cared, having a woman on the team would make some jobs a bit easier, women tend to be overlooked most of the time by security, so she was perfect for stake outs and information gathering.

 

——–

 

From the first time he met him, he was drawn to him.  
Maybe it was because they were so different, but Kibum had always been attracted to Taemin.

At first, he had been annoyed by the kid, but the way Taemin had always put himself down, the way he looked at him with an admiration Kibum couldn’t understand, because Taemin had always been so much better than Kibum, in any way that mattered.

It made him feel bad for being mean to the kid.

There was also the way Taemin seemed to enjoy everything he did. It made Kibum happy to see it.  
And that was the thing, perhaps the only thing that mattered, because before he met Taemin, Kibum couldn’t remember the last time something made him happy, or sad. In fact, he had trouble remembering the last time he felt anything at all.

After a while he forgot what it felt to not feel a thing, and the only thing he cared about was keeping Taemin happy.

But then, Taemin had asked him to come with him, 'become an outlaw' he’d said, 'it will be so much fun'.

“We could move into an awesome place, have anything we want.”

Kibum didn’t care about any of it, but Taemin seemed to want to do it, and that was enough for him.

They haven’t done any of those things though, Kibum never knew what Onew, Jonghyun and Minho wanted the money for, and the change from a small university dorm to an abandoned building doesn’t seem like much of an upgrade, but Taemin seemed happy.

———-

Maybe it was Onew’s influence, or maybe Onew just gave voice to a desire Taemin always had, but he became reckless.

It was amazing to watch Taemin, once he let go of whatever it had been that held him back before, he was like a force of nature.  
An embodiment of everything Kibum wished he could feel.

However, one thing was clear, Taemin changed for the worse when She was around.

————-

_Key loved to drive, it grounded him, made him feel that he was in control; of where they were going, of what they did.  
The car became a part of him, or he became a part of the car. He wasn’t sure anymore._

_It felt like freedom._

———-

Kibum never spoke to her, except for when they were planning a heist.  
She never spoke to him either, but Kibum could tell she was afraid of him.

He doesn’t know what her reasons to be here are, and he doesn’t really care. He wouldn’t have cared for her at all if Taemin hadn’t taken notice of her, but he had.

He hated her.

When She was involved, Taemin wouldn’t listen.

When She was around Taemin was not just reckless, it was as if he was trying to destroy himself.

He would throw himself into danger in stupid ways, no matter what Kibum asked of him, and there is only so much Kibum can do to stop him if he won’t listen.

All of it just to impress her.

Kibum can’t lose Taemin.

He can’t.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And it is so easy to get lost in the way Taemin makes him look at life, nothing seems quite as vivid, or as real as it does when he is around him._

Onew believed he still had some control over the situation, it was cute.

Kibum liked to pretend he didn’t know that the way he tried to get Kibum to spend more time with him, was just poorly disguised attempts at trying to find a way to get rid of Taemin.  
He went with it because Taemin always got possessive over him after he saw it, kept closer than usual, and if he was looking at Kibum, he wasn’t looking at Her, and Kibum could keep him safe.

Onew would pull back after that, if he lost the little amount of influence he had over Taemin’s actions, he would lose control of Kibum, and he can’t afford to lose Kibum’s ability to device seamless heists, until he gets what he wants.

Maybe if he had met Onew before he met Taemin he would have found what they were doing a good distraction, hell, he might have even wound up in the same place as he is right now, he might have even been curious about their endgame.  
But Taemin is here and Kibum doesn’t really care what they want, beyond the amount of cash they asked him to help them get.

He could feel the desperation with which he tried to pull him away from Taemin lately, he understood, Taemin was becoming more trouble than he was worth.  
Kibum himself was starting to have trouble with damage control whenever Taemin decided to go on one of his stunts.

———-

_Taemin always sat in the back this days._

_To be close to Her._

_And suddenly, the car was constricting, the space too small, the air stuffy and suffocating._

_Darkness was creeping up on him._

———

It was easy to forget what his life had been like before he’d met Taemin, when he is so caught up the now, when Taemin keeps him on edge, whether it is in a good or a bad way, Kibum would never want to go back, because he can’t remember ever feeling alive quite as much as he does now.

 

“Let me fuck you.” Taemin whispered softly in his ear.

Taemin was sitting on his lap, arms loosely linked behind his neck, this sort of thing didn’t happen often, their relationship being platonic on the most part.

Key didn’t usually enjoy sex.

He didn’t dislike it either, but whatever partners he’d had over the years had been a result of boredom and curiosity, never desire.

There were times like right now however, in which Taemin needed to feel physically close, Kibum never knew if it was just him, or if Taemin seeked out the others as well, but he could never deny Taemin anything he asked for.  
Maybe it was just sexual release, maybe it was just another way of staking ownership over Kibum, whatever it was, Kibum enjoyed it.

It doesn’t really matter to him how Taemin words it, or if he does at all. But he always agrees, and he always enjoys it, because he can feel how Taemin’s focus narrows down on him, in the same way Kibum’s focus is always on Taemin.  
Like there is only the two of them, and everything else falls away.

‘Maybe it wasn’t about the sex at all’ he thought as he nodded and Taemin leaned in with that smile full of mischief, and kissed him passionate and intense, just like everything else he did.

And it is so easy to get lost in the way Taemin makes him look at life, nothing seems quite as vivid, or as real as it does when he is around him.

——–

They had managed to complete a job with no hassle, a small convenience store by the high-way. Being a small job he had managed to keep it to a team of three; Taemin, himself and Onew leaving Her behind with Minho and Jonghyun.

The getaway drive had been easy since there were barely any cameras on their way back, it was a long drive, by the time they were back at the safe-house, the sun had been up for a couple of hours.  
It amazed Key how long they had been able to hide in the same place without the police finding them, even if they had been moving out of the prefecture lately, but he guessed they weren’t really looking for a bunch of scrawny looking kids.

They had reached a sort of stability, even though Taemin kept getting himself into stupid situations, it seemed that he had reached the limit of how much of a daredevil he wanted to be on regular days, it let Kibum relax a bit.

He always found it odd, how Taemin never spoke about Her to him, like he forgot she existed the moment she was out of sight. Or how he never really cared where all the money they had stolen in the last seven months went. Not that Kibum really cared either, but it had seemed like it had been a motivation for Taemin in the beginning.

She stayed away from Kibum as much as she could, and barely paid attention to Taemin, and he had hoped that the lack of interest from her part would eventually bore Taemin, and he would go back to his usual self.

But he has been wrong before.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Brighter lights dull faster._

Things spiraled out of control faster than he could have imagined.

That night, Taemin confronted Minho.

Taemin, the dumb shit. Physically, confronted Minho.

And maybe Kibum is becoming stupid, but he put himself in between them, pulled Taemin away from him before he could get himself beat up, and held him back.  
She stood behind Minho, just looking; and Jonghyun was yelling at them something Kibum couldn’t make out.

He had his whole focus on Taemin, letting everything around him go quiet, the burning glare he directed at Minho, the way his body was tense in Kibum’s grip.

Taemin, burning bright.

_Brighter lights dull faster._

Later that night, as they laid next to each other in the cold, windowless room where they kept their makeshift beds; Taemin had told him he had seen them making out.

The truth was, Kibum realized that night, that Taemin only wanted Her because Minho had her. And whatever stability they had obtained since She appeared had crumbled down that night, they were falling apart.

——–

Taemin was drunk, he was leaning into Kibum.

Kibum loved how physically affectionate Taemin was towards him, anyone else he might tolerate, but with Taemin he relished every touch every brush of skin against skin, every word, and every look he spared his way.

Taemin kept mumbling, about how he couldn’t believe She would rather be with a thug like Minho, instead of with him.

“You wouldn’t ever choose him over me, right Bummie?”

“You know I wouldn’t.” Kibum responded, a soft laugh escaping his throat as Taemin nuzzled against his neck.

“Ugh, I just wish I didn’t have to see them.” Kibum could feel Taemin’s breath as he spoke, the movement of his lips, “They are so gross, have you seen them?” The alcohol was giving Taemin a slight slur that Kibum found incredibly endearing.

“I like you best,” Taemin said giggling, “always have.” He lifted his face as he said it, a smile that glowed softly, made Kibum’s cold heart, beat.

In truth, Kibum would do anything for Taemin, the things he asked for, and the ones he didn’t; as long as he would smile at him like that.

Because Kibum has always been lost in an all-encompassing darkness, but Taemin is light.

And Kibum would do anything to keep it.

——–

Maybe, if it had stopped there, if Taemin had lost interest once She had made her choice, it wouldn’t have come to this.

But, as it were, Taemin kept burning, putting himself in danger on jobs, drinking way too much.

 

——–

He heard them, he hadn’t really meant to; but they were talking loudly in the room next to where he was.

They wanted to leave for a while, take his car, go to a nearby beach for a few days, while things cooled down in here.

Kibum wouldn’t have minded one bit, but he knows things will only escalate from here; Taemin would go after them, Kibum knows him too well, because Taemin finds it fun to take what is denied to him.

——

Taemin stopped listening to Kibum.

He had to do something, and if he couldn’t stop Taemin, then he would get rid of the problem.

Letting go of the car was easier than Kibum would have imagined, he thinks, as he packs plastic explosive charges into it, setting them to blow when the key is turned, if he doesn’t flip a switch on the underside of the dashboard first; he knows that no one except for him, and now them, would try to take the car; no one ever has, if it comes to it, he could convince Onew that it was always there.

————

The explosion was bigger than he imagined it would be, Kibum thought as he kicked a smouldering shard of metal.

He expected to feel something, seeing his precious car go up in flames, but he still felt nothing.

“Such a pity,” Sighed Kibum. “I really liked Minho.”

In the light of the flames that consumed the car Kibum found Onew’s eyes.  
The curtain had dropped.  
The game was over.

“What does it feel, to be the Little Prince of Darkness’ lap dog?” Onew said coldly, seems like he was more perceptive than Kibum had given him credit for, beside him Jonghyun had fallen to his knees, silent tears streaming down his face.

Kibum just smiled at him, it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I wouldn’t really know.” He answered as he walked past him on his way back into the abandoned building. It doesn’t feel like he is lying.

He doesn’t know how Taemin will react to this, but he didn’t even bother to get up when the rest of them did.

————

 

Taemin was sitting against a wall when he came back in, watching the flashes of orange and yellow light that slipped through the window behind him make a play of shadows on the opposite wall.

Kibum sat beside him, they stayed there quietly; and somehow, he knows that Taemin knows what he just did.  
After a while Taemin lays his head on Kibum’s lap, looking up into his face, Kibum gently brushes a strand of hair out of his face, his hand falling to caress his cheek.  
Taemin leans into the touch, smiling at him softly.

It was odd, while he devised his plan to get rid of Minho and that woman, he never even thought of how Taemin would react to it, not until it was done, not until he was standing in front of the burning remains of the car.

He always thought of Taemin as someone completely different from him.

But now he finds it hard to tell the difference.

Outside, the flames wallowed down, Jonghyun’s whimpers, and the wail of sirens in the distance the only sounds that broke through the silence of the night.

They would have to move soon. But right now, with Taemin’s head on his lap, if he closes his eyes, it still feels the same way it did when they were in his dorm back at campus, and they hadn’t done any of the awful things they have done; like Taemin is just procrastinating his schoolwork, and Kibum is just too tired to care enough to scold him for it.

If he closes his eyes it’s almost as if nothing has changed at all.

Maybe Taemin never changed at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Can also be found on my [tumblr](https://anachronicwriting.tumblr.com/tagged/TMWTDfic)


End file.
